The LuxMob Info Tags

You have been named a new leader in your organization, or you are a long time leader with some new people in your organization. Or maybe you aren’t a formal leader but are working on an important new project. Or perhaps you are staff person with expertise that can benefit the business… but only if you can get others to see your perspective.

These are just four situations where having the ability to be more influential could make a big difference in our effectiveness.

Regardless of our role, rank or seniority; no matter what our job, we can all benefit from being more influential. After all we are all trying to influence others all day long.

One key to achieving that greater influence is credibility.

Credibility

Enhancing your credibility with others is one of the best ways to become more influential. People want to follow the advice and counsel of those with expertise, and you want to be one of those people!

It is not enough to be an expert on a subject matter or a situation though. You must also be perceived as an expert. That perception comes from how you carry yourself and interact with others on this subject AND in every other way as well. You see, credibility is more than just expertise. Credibility is a combination of expertise and trustworthiness.

Kevin Hogan, in The Science of Influence states it as a formula:

Credibility = Expertise + Trustworthiness.

Very few people can maintain great influence without both parts of this equation. There are certainly situations where the expertise is so profound that idiosyncrasies and even rudeness will be tolerated because the person is so knowledgeable. This is likely not the case for all of us.

On the other hand, there are situations where you have likely trusted someone so much that they were credible on subjects they might not have been so expert about. They were still influential with you because of that extremely high trust level. After all, you reason, they care enough about me that they wouldn’t steer me wrong with their advice or suggestions. These cases too, are isolated.

So we need to work on both parts of this combination in order to become more influential.

Expertise

Expertise is certainly a good place to start. If you are an IT professional you better know a router from a right click. If you are in finance, you better know a payment from a promissory note. That is basic expertise, and only a starting point. To greatly increase your influence through your credibility, you must develop your knowledge and expertise consistently and continuously far beyond those basics.

There are many ways to do this:

• Continuing education

• On-going reading

• Using your skills in volunteer or community organizations

…to name a few.

And as I mentioned before having the expertise is important, but being perceived as having it matters much more. Perception is everything. It might not be fair, but it is how the world works.

Changing perceptions, especially of people you have worked with for a long time, won’t happen overnight. But by consciously building your expertise and applying it whenever possible your influence will grow.

Trustworthiness

The other part of our credibility combination is being trustworthy. Building trust consists of many factors and, like expertise is about more than ourselves. While there are things we can do, it is how are actions are translated by others that is the true measure of our trustworthiness.

Here are three things that you can do, starting today to build your trustworthiness, and therefore, your credibility.

Build rapport. In a situation where you want to influence others, don’t rush to that point too quickly. Build rapport by building your relationship with the other person. You know how to do this, just remember how important it is.

Focus on them. Be interested in them. Understand their issues and concerns. We all want to feel important. We all want to be heard. By keeping your focus on the other person you are serving yourself as well.

Be consistent. Build rapport in every situation. Be kind and thoughtful everyday. Consistency in our actions is a key trust component. We trust people when we know what to expect in their words and deeds. Be consistent.

Remember that in the end, this is about perception - which means in a practical way that you can’t succeed by applying the above suggestions as a ploy or a technique. These strategies work when they are done with sincerity and honor, and they will backfire if people feel you are using them as a way to manipulate them or a situation.

The good news is that by applying these approaches to build your trustworthiness you will likely be building your perceived expertise as well.

Credibility is a combination of expertise and trustworthiness, but those two components, aren’t completely distinct and different as described in the mathematical formula described above. They can be built simultaneously by conscious and consistent focus.

And with that conscious focus and determined actions you can build your credibility - one of the golden keys to unlock greater influence.

©Kevin Eikenberry 2005. Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

Today, companies have an ever-expanding list of options available to them when it comes to sourcing new employees, from advertising in newspapers and trade journals to powerful, cost-effective recruiting options available through the Internet. Unfortunately, the growth in the number of recruiting options available has made the competition for top candidates even more fierce.

So how do you break out of the pack to find the people that you need? Like most other business activities, a successful recruiting program must be a planned effort. Here are some tips for ensuring that your recruiting effort produces results:

Always Be Recruiting: Recruiting is least successful when you’re forced to find someone quickly due to an unexpected resignation. Out of desperation, many companies often end up filling a critical vacancy with an available candidate who lacks one or more of the essential skills required by the job. The best company recruiting programs are those in which recruiting is an ongoing activity, instead of a knee-jerk response to an immediate need. And, even if you’re not currently expanding your workforce, normal turnover or performance issues almost certainly means that you’ll need to hire at least one new employee every six months.

Don’t Rely On A Single Approach: For years, executives thought that an effective recruiting campaign consisted of a few advertisements in the Help Wanted section of the Sunday newspaper, with a recruiter or two thrown in for good measure. But those tools are simply no longer effective enough in today’s market, especially when everyone else is using them too. Just as you wouldn’t rely on a single technique to identify prospective customers for your business, your recruiting program should include the regular use of a variety of prospecting tools that can identify qualified candidates. Today, there’s no shortage of ways to identify good candidates, including advertising in community newspapers, Internet-based advertising, job fares and open houses, and college internship programs, to name just a few. Make sure your recruiting program takes advantage of all of the tools at your disposal.

Develop A Target List Of Prospects: In many situations, you already know some of the best candidates for certain positions within your company. For example, you (or your sales manager) can probably identify in a heartbeat the star salespeople that regularly complete against you for business. Or, you’ve met someone who’d be an outstanding candidate for an administrative or clerical position in your company, but you don’t have an opening right now. Instead of waiting until the right opportunity comes along, find ways to continually remind them about your company and your interest in them. Occasional phone calls, or periodic copies of the company newsletter are all you need to let them know that you’re interested in them, whenever the timing is right for you both.

Make The Interview Process Efficient And Responsive: If you think that the burden of creating a favorable impression rests completely with the job candidate, think again. With lots of companies competing for the best people, your interview process must be efficient, responsive and, most important, respectful of each candidate’s time and interest. That means being organized, keeping to your interview schedule, and getting back to prospective employees when you say you will. After all, if you can’t make an effort to make a favorable impression during the interview process, what kind of an effort will you make when the person is on board?

Stay In Touch With Outstanding Candidates: Don’t despair if a top candidate declines your offer in favor of a job at another company. All opportunities are not created equal, and even that “can’t refuse” offer may not look so great after a few months in the job. Stay in touch and you may just get a chance to win your top candidate back. And, even if their job works out, good candidates will be flattered by the attention and will remember you when they make their next move.

Consider Overstaffing Where Appropriate: If your budget allows, overstaff those positions where the recruiting demands are continual or where finding the right candidates is most difficult. Then, utilize that excess staff to support those activities. Good people are always an asset, and having trained people in reserve who understand the company and its products will give you greater flexibility in expanding your organization or in replacing a marginal performer.

Don’t Delegate The Recruiting Process: You can’t effectively delegate essential recruiting activities to a secretary or an administrative assistant. The expense and consequences of poor recruiting are too great to place the task in inexperienced hands. And, the effort to keep the best employees starts with the recruiting process. Play an active role in recruiting from start to finish, and make sure that your key managers do the same.

William von Achen is president of Strategic Management Resources, an executive coaching and management consulting firm offering advice and counsel to business owners and senior executives. For more information visit our web site at http://www.smrweb.com.

Everyday about three dozen new HYIP sites come out offering to be the solution to your financial dreams and promise you a life fulled with riches and satisfaction. I’ll tell you right off the back there lying. Yes, these HYIP sites are straight out lying to you. Studies show that %99 of HYIP sites are scam, and from my experience this statistic holds true.

HYIP stands for High Yield Investing Program. When we think of investing we think of Wall Street, Stocks, Bonds, and all that good stuff but on the internet HYIP is just a coverup scam sites use to take away your money.

Most HYIP sites are Ponzi Scams. The name Ponzi comes from the man Charles Ponzi who scammed millions of dollars from his Friends, Family, Coworkers, etc. Charles Ponzi paid out his original investors from the investment of others, the same type of scam happens today.

The basic setup for scams is that a new HYIP site comes up claiming they are backed up by Forex Trading. They say all these words to draw you in there trap and at first they probably do pay you, however a few weeks later the site will run away with all the money from investors and you will be left in the dirt. Hundreds of new HYIP sites are made every week and people still fall into their scams, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just a group of a small individuals just massively making new HYIP’s due to the fact that people keep investing (and losing) money in them.

Now by reading the first couple of paragraphs, your probably now scared into investing anything online, which is okay, HYIP’s are usually run as games and when the payout reaches a certain percentage they stop paying and start a new round. People usually get carried away because they see there making money so they invest all the money they make back into the same program, that’s mistake number one. First thing you DO not want to do with HYIP’s is reinvest your principal money, take that out ASAP and play only with your profits. There are many more common mistakes and I will discuss them in the upcoming paragraphs.

The 5 ways to avoid being scammed

1) Take back your principal investment

As mentioned above, when you invest in a program and receive your money back in addition with your profit, invest only the profits! When you do it this way you now have no risk in losing your money in HYIP’s, you’ll just lose your profits and nothing else. What you may also want to do is instead of investing all of your profit, invest %75 of it and keep %25 of it. That way no matter what you come out a winner. Remember take up your principal deposit and play with profits!

2) Study the website

Studying a website does take some research, but it will help you in the long run. If you see a HYIP site claiming to be backed up by Forex ask them for some of there records to see if there telling you the truth or lying. Do a Whois lookup on their domain name to see if there around as long as they say, ask the admin questions, call them if a number is provided, email them and see if they respond. HYIP Scammers are always in a rush and want to get your money and leave ASAP, real HYIP admins won’t lie to you and will take the time to answer your questions truthfully, do your homework and you will be awarded!
3) Check the Interest

If a program is offering more then %10 a day, it is off the back a Ponzi Scam. This does not mean do not invest with them, but it does mean that they are a ponzi and are probably running their HYIP in a game type format (when payout reaches X the next round will become) or they are relying on paying your investments with the investment of new investors. The reason I can say that if a program offers more then %10 that they are a Scam or a Game is because real professional traders can’t possibly offer returns as high as %20-50 profit per day, that is unrealistic and if they DO offer those rates they are probably running a game HYIP or ponzi HYIP. Check the Interest, you can still make money if a program is a ponzi or game but if you want a reliable program you should settle for %2-5 daily.

-Note: The same goes with referral rates, if they are large and unrealistic such as receiving %30 the program is most likely scamming/tricking you in one way or another.-

4) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

I’m sure you heard the expression “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” well this is true, especially for online investment. If you put $50 into a program, they could run off the next day, and now your left with $0. The smart thing to do is that if you have $50 is to invest $10 into 5 different programs, that way you are almost guaranteed to make some type of profit. The more diversifying the more monitoring and tracking you have to do, but the more money you make, don’t be lazy, do some work!

5) Don’t let your emotions run you over

Okay so you invested $100 and received %100 profit. You have $200 and confident that you can double that you immediately reinvest it. Happily, you receive your $400 and quickly reinvest that to make $800, however for some reason you don’t get your $800, instead you get nothing, the program just ran away! Yes, that is right, don’t let emotions control you, people do crazy things when they think they could be making a lot of money, don’t invest to much money into HYIP as in the long run you will probably lose out, instead follow the rule number 1 and you should come out ahead.

From reading this article you learn 5 essential tips that will help you identifying if a HYIP is a scam or not, when and if you should invest, and how to minimize your risk of losing your money. If you follow these strategies you should be making money with HYIP’s instead of losing them. Have fun and happy earning

Raiel Schwartz the admin of http://www.truemonitors.com has been in the HYIP game for several months and has learned how to make the most profit on online opportunities such as Autosurfs, Get Paid To, and HYIP’s.

When you’re hiring a data projector for your presentation you will often come across a decision to be made - that is DLP or LCD projector. The differences are in many cases extremely technical, and the layman may end up more confused than ever! We have put together a very brief summary of what you need to know when hiring a projector.

DLP or Digital Light Processor is a new technology which allows a much smaller projector to be made. So if portability is important, for example if you are going on a plane with the projector, then it may pay to look at DLP. The DLP chips themselves are made by US company Texas Instruments, and they have been aggressively marketing the concept for some years. This gives them a perceived advantage over the LCD manufacturers who are all competing against each other.

The new breed of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projectors is however fighting back on the size front with the introduction of a new smaller panel, allowing manufacturers to create higher resolution portable projectors.

Both camps claim issues occur with the opposition:

DLP sometimes suffers from the ‘rainbow effect’ where the picture appears as a rainbow briefly noticeable when changing focus from one part of the screen to another. It appears as a secondary image that appears at the viewer’s peripheral vision and is generally noticeable when shifting focus from a high contrast area or bright object. This does not appear in “3 chip” DLP projectors, but these tend to be very high end projectors in terms of price.

LCD sometimes suffers from what is called “screen door” effect, meaning the picture is pixilated and appears as if you’re watching TV through a screen door. Again the newer LCD projectors have improved the aperture ratio to address this and it is much less of an issue than before. Similarly DLP projectors used to claim a much higher contrast ratio - i.e. blacks were much blacker than LCD; but some of the latest LCD models achieve a 6000:1 ratio, matching the best DLP ones.

Both types are going through constant changes and improvements, to the point where one cannot be said to have an overwhelming advantage over the other. So, unless you have a very specialized need for your presentation, go with the projector model that fits in terms of weight, size, brightness and price.

James Hunter works for Edric Audio Visual, a leading provider of projector hire in the UK.

I would like to depart from my traditional articles to describe a great leader who was also a great friend. This departure is partly selfish, but I welcome an opportunity to describe a person from whom I learned many management and leadership lessons.

In the early 1990’s I met with the owner of the Fishel Company so that he and several of his executives from around the country could evaluate a system I had developed for process improvement. The meeting took place in Phoenix because The Fishel Company has a large presence in Arizona.

The Fishel Company has about 30 branch offices around the U.S. with most of its operations focused on either underground or overhead utility construction. The company motto says it all, “The World’s Best Ditch Diggers.” That is what they do - dig ditches and install pipes and cables. As you might expect, the majority of the workers in The Fishel Company are blue collar, hard working outdoor types, or as John Phillips the current company president once described them, “These people are absolutely the salt of the earth! There isn’t one of them you wouldn’t enjoy having as a relative or next-door neighbor.”

The meeting must have gone well, because I received a contract to implement a system of process analysis, teambuilding, leadership training, and process improvement in their many locations around the country. For several years I visited each branch office many times, which enabled me to learn a lot about the company history and some very unique corporate philosophies. It’s about the uniqueness of this company and its owner that I would like to describe in this article.

Ken Fishel, who built the company through old fashioned hard work and a commitment to providing the customer high quality at a fair price, founded the Fishel Company 66 years ago. Ken’s son-in-law, Jeff Keeler, joined the company in 1976 as part of a field crew. Later he moved to the office as an assistant to the Vice President. The combination of field and office experience enabled Jeff to learn the underground utility construction business from the underground up. Jeff was named president in 1977 and served in that capacity until 1998 when he became Chairman and CEO.

It is about J.F. (Jeff) Keeler, Jr. that I pay tribute. From the moment I first met him and later in dozens of meetings and leadership training workshops that he attended, I became his fan. He preached a concept called “Fishelosophy,” which distinguished his company form the competition. I had never seen a company like this before. At first I was amazed that “Fishelosophy” actually worked. But I soon realized that it was a different way of treating people. And because the people (employees, customers and vendors) were treated differently, they in turn responded in like manner.

Let me give a few examples of “Fishelosophy.” There are no “employees” in the company; they are called Teammates. If you inadvertently use the “employee” word, someone will quickly correct you. It took me some time to break the “employee” habit; but when I did, it was obvious to my Teammates that I had embraced their passion for teamwork.

Jeff believed in sharing company profits. Each quarter eligible, Teammates shared a significant portion of the company’s profits. This sharing of profits helped each person think like an owner, because in effect, each person is. Profit sharing checks were typically distributed in meetings that would best be described as a pep rally. I’ll never forget the first one I attended in Phoenix; it was an exciting and fun event.

At the meetings Jeff would lead his Teammates in a company cheer! That’s right, I said company cheers. If you had told me that company cheers were possible in today’s sophisticated marketplace, I would have disagreed. But with Jeff’s enthusiastic leadership style, it worked exceptionally well. The cheers fostered a camaraderie among his Teammates that is without equal in my 34 years of business experience.

The Fishel Company believes in posters. There are posters espousing every corporate belief, value and initiative. At meetings, the posters are prominently displayed as a reinforcement of what they stand for. It was common to see half-dozen posters on easels for a leadership training workshop.

As I traveled with Jeff and saw him interact with his Teammates, many things impressed me. But one of the most amazing was that he knew not only the names of his Teammates, but he also remembered who they were as human beings. This attribute endeared his people with unparalleled loyalty and honesty.

Jeff Keeler lived teamwork, he had vibrant passion for life, he loved competition, he cherished friendships, and he made life more fun for his family, Teammates, and everyone he met. Unfortunately, Jeff recently passed away, a cancer victim. He may be gone, but I’ll never forget the lessons I learned from the “World’s Best Ditch Digger.” Leadership training makes a difference.

To learn about how Dr. Williams or CMOE (Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness) can assist your organization with leadership training initiatives, please contact a CMOE Representative toll free (888)262-2499.

Dr. Richard L. Williams is a retail consultant where he specializes in quality improvement, feedback, and leadership training.

In his 30 plus years of experience, Dr. Williams has conducted more than 3,800 workshops to more than 100,000 managers and executives around the world.

The Expression of Interest (EOI) is the beginning of the submission processes for many agencies and potential clients of yours.

The purpose of the EOI is to assist the donor/agency/business to compile a shortlist
that will be invited to submit a tender for an opportunity.

For you, the purpose of the EOI is simple - get on the shortlist!

As with all aspects of proposal and tender development, the EOI process is not
without challenge:

• Often working with limited information

• Understanding EOI timing is important, so you are responding to most up-to-
date information, however this can in some cases be easier said that done

• Agency processes vary, so understanding each specific call for EOI is
critical

• A shortlist is just that - short. So it is unlikely that you will receive 100%
conversion to shortlist. A scattergun approach is not the solution, but ensuring your
pipeline is full remains a success factor.

As with every aspect of positioning for business, waiting for a call for EOI is not
enough to create success - other profiling and positioning activities need to
continue.

Some general principles that are worth considering for each of your EOI
submissions:

• What you present needs to demonstrate that you understand the requirements
and that you can manage the project

• Your response provides the opportunity to present information that
demonstrates success in relevant past activities

• If you have the ‘right’ people for this activity - this is a great opportunity to
begin to ’sell’ them through your submission

• If you anticipate that your implementation model might be in a consortium or
partnership - forming it for the EOI is worth considering

• If the EOI call remains open longer than anticipated, and new information
comes to light about the project - consider submitting updated information.

Ask yourself some questions as part of your EOI preparation:

• What do you know?

• What don’t you know?

• Where can you find additional information?

• Who might your competition be, and how does this influence your content?

• What will your EOI look like:

- Cover page?

- Headings?

- Length?

• How might you demonstrate capacity and capability?

• What level of detail can you provide?

• Are there any points of compliance?

While there are many factors external to the EOI writing activity that are likely to
contribute to a high strike-rate for you, your success is likely to be enhanced where
your EOI:

• Demonstrates understanding of project, region, agency, stakeholders etc

• Demonstrates project management capacity - no risk in hiring you

• Highlights indicative and appropriate personnel

• Responds to specifics where asked.

While processes vary, and timelines can often creep up on you, consider always
submitting a hard copy of your EOI - remember this is an element of your overall
branding and positioning activities.

Purchase your EOI Framework Guide from our website at http://www.globizdev.com/ourproducts.php

This manual is suited to all organisations, small or large. The manual is designed to
help you prepare your EOI template, for customisation when each new EOI is called.
It is also useful as a capability document that could be sent direct to clients, or as
part of a proposal.

In order to be successful in tendering, one must first have the opportunity
to tender!

For many activities, there is often a two-step process commencing with the
submission of an EOI from which a shortlist is invited to tender. It is difficult to be
successful unless you EOI well.

This brief, yet detailed, manual presents suggested headings and a style for a
complete EOI submission, suitable for an individual submission or one you
undertake in alliance with another firm.

Suggestions for content under each heading are provided, as well as some samples
of text to assist you in your EOI framework development.

By using this guide, you will be able to populate a framework EOI ready for
customisation for future, specific activities you target.

This framework has proved successful across a range of agencies, sectors
and countries.

Mel Dunn is Managing Director of Global Business and Development Solutions
which works with individuals and organisations that are committed to business
success and the success of others. We work globally and locally and focus on
providing sustainable solutions for our clients.

We offer a range of services
including:

- Proposal and tender development
- Technical assistance
- Research and strategy development
- Quality review of submissions
- Market entry support
- Partner identification
- On-ground representation

http://www.globizdev.com

Training courses! The most recent had been termed “Management for Senior Officers” and had been a minor disaster - all psychology and how to be nice to junior officers. How to involve them, how to motivate them, how to relate to them. Rebus had returned to his station and tried it for one day, a day of involving, of motivating, of relating. At the end of the day, a Detective Constable had slapped a hand on Rebus’ back, smiling.

“Bloody hard work today, John. But I’ve enjoyed it.”

“Take your hand off my f….ng back.” Rebus had snarled. “And don’t call me John.”

The DC’s mouth fell open. “But you said … ” he began, but didn’t bother finishing. The brief holiday was over. Rebus had tried being a manager. Tried it and loathed it.

If you are like Ian Rankin’s Inspector John Rebus (”Tooth and Nail”, by Ian Rankin, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1996, New York) who finds learning to be a manager difficult and in fact loathes being a manager, or you love being a manager, or you merely languish in being a manager, but in any of these cases still find learning how to manage difficult, then there’s some good news! Our difficulty with learning how to be a manager is probably not to do with “management” per se, but the way the learning is presented to us and the different ways in which we all like to learn. (Mind you, managing - being responsible for the performance of others - is probably the second most challenging task one can undertake, if you’ll agree with me that “parenting” is probably the most challenging.)

If you’d like to make learning to be a manager a little easier, then read on.

Each of us learns in a different way and at a different pace, but researchers have found that in general terms, we have a preference for learning through seeing, learning through listening, or learning through moving, doing and touching. To make it easy for us, Peter Honey and Alan Mumford have identified four main learning style preferences -

• Activists, who like to be involved in new experiences. They are open minded and enthusiastic about new ideas but get bored with implementation. They enjoy doing things and tend to act first and consider the implications afterwards. They like working with others but tend to hog the limelight.

• Reflectors, who like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to others’ views before offering their own.

• Theorists, who adapt and integrate observations into complex and logically sound theories. They think problems through in a step by step way. They tend to be perfectionists who like to fit things into a rational scheme. They tend to be detached and analytical rather than subjective or emotive in their thinking.

• Pragmatists, who are keen to try things out. They want concepts that can be applied to their job. They tend to be impatient with lengthy discussions and are practical and down to earth.

Which is your preferred style of learning? Read the descriptions over again, then make a mental note of the description that best suits the way you prefer to learn. You may find, that there are two styles that you can relate to - that’s ok, you can take a bit of both (in my own case for instance, I prefer the pragmatic approach, but at times I also need to reflect to learn best).

Following are some tips on how to learn best about being a manager, depending on your style.

Activists:

• Talk with your colleagues about how they have managed difficult situations - invite them to lunch for a discussion!

• Get involved in project teams - particularly at the start of the project. Volunteer for the brainstorming or idea generation segments, but not for implementation issues or activities. It’s a good idea to take on the Chair’s role so that you can direct others!

• Visit other organisations to see how they do things (short visits only)

• Take part in business games • If someone gives you a management book to read or suggests you read a particular book, get someone else to précis it for you and tell you about the “good parts”. If it includes activities, go straight to these.

• Avoid conferences or training courses where you know there will be a lot of theory presentations. If you have to attend, make sure you ask a lot of questions to keep yourself from being bored. Try taking a lot of notes or drawing pictures during the “boring” presentation parts and think about how the issues being raised could be used back at work.

Reflectors:

• Take the time to watch people as they work - particularly in groups and how they respond to one another.

• When you have just been through a difficult experience, take some time off (an hour or two) to think about it. Write down what went right, what went wrong and what you would do differently next time.

• Keep a log of the management activities you undertake over a one week period. Classify these activities under “Leading” (setting the direction, giving the big picture to your people) “Managing” (setting performance objectives for people, following up on performance issues, and implementing development initiatives for your team) and “Operating” (doing the administrative tasks such as budgeting, reporting). At the end of the week, spend a couple of hours reviewing your log and decide where you need to change your emphasis to improve your management.

• At least once a year, take a day or so off work and spend your time reflecting on what has gone and what you need to do over the coming 12 months to improve. Try to split your reflection time between 20% reflecting on the past and 80% focusing on what you are going to do in the coming 12 months.

Theorists:

• Undertake training courses and activities that are highly structured. You will need to make sure that the training is based on sound logic and reasoning and contains interesting concepts.

• Because you are less likely to attend courses of an “emotive” or “feeling” nature, go out of your way to do so, keeping in mind the above point so that it won’t be too painful for you!

• Seek out colleagues who have a similar learning style to yours. Arrange to meet with them regularly. Make sure that the meetings are well structured, have clear aims and are based around a particular management challenge, concept or theory. If there is an article or book on the topic, ensure that both of you have read it first.

• Look for management development articles (The Harvard Business Review is an excellent source). Send a copy of an article to colleagues who think similarly to yourself - ask them to read it and attach three or four questions that you think are relevant to your workplace. Ask for their feedback. If you really want to get into a management topic in depth, the publication “Organizational Dynamics” is very good.

• Seek out interesting projects where the issues are complex.

• Set yourself up as an “expert” in a particular field of your work and encourage others to ask for your advice. Be careful to see how the issue they raise relates to how you might also improve your own management style.

Pragmatists:

• Find another manager whom you respect and who is recognised as a good manager. Take a particular management challenge or issue to him/her and ask them how they would handle it.

• Look for training courses that have a particular relevance to your industry and job. Make sure they include plenty of feedback (such as 360 degree profiles, role plays and active coaching from the trainer).

• Look for “management techniques” - e.g. principles, concepts, techniques that will save you time.

• Look for management models. Ask some of your colleagues (such as the Theorists) to show you how the “best management concepts they know” work in practise.

• Avoid theory type training sessions, meetings and books. If you buy a management book, make sure it has very short chapters (one page is ideal!) with lots of “How to”. You will probably enjoy books such as The One Minute Manager.

• Look for training videos that show you “How to”, but do not dwell on theory.

• Get a trusted colleague to sit in on some of your management meetings and give you some feedback on their effectiveness. Make sure to ask him/her how they would run them if they were you.

Does management training have to be painful? My own belief is that the old saying of “no pain, no gain” should not apply to learning about how to be a better manager. Management training should be interesting, fun and exciting and it can only be that way for you if it is designed to suit your particular learning style.

I hope that some of the above tips on learning about management have been useful - mix and match to suit your own preferred style of learning. I would hate to think that we might all end up like John Rebus, loathing being a manager simply because we do not have the right opportunities to learn!

I’m always interested to hear your stories about managing, so if you have any, please drop me a line via www.nationallearning.com.au or if you would like some more information about any of the above or perhaps some free tips or advice, you can contact me or get these at www.nationallearininginstitute.com

Good luck with learning to be a manager.

Copyright © 2006 The National Learning Institute

Bob Selden was once a manager. Since then he has worked hard to try and help others to improve their management skills. As Managing Director of the National Learning Institute, he now spends a lot of time designing and helping to design management development processes for organisations and consultants. If you are a manager, Bob would love to hear from you - he gives his advice freely to any manager who is prepared to ask the difficult questions. You can contact Bob via http://www.nationallearning.com.au/

How many times have you heard or uttered this phrase in the last 5 years or so. As a “reformed accountant” this phrase makes me cringe more than any other business euphemism being espoused today.

What exactly is an asset? The dictionary defines an asset as “A valuable item that is owned”. From an accounting standpoint an asset might be a desk, building, computer, or a truck. The one thing almost all assets have in common is that they are depreciated, or used up by the company until they are worthless. Then they are discarded.

Now you can understand why that phrase makes me cringe. Certainly there are exceptions to the “use and discard” rule. Land, securities, or even artwork are examples of assets that appreciate in value and are worth more over time than they were when they were first acquired. But is that how you are treating your employees?

Many companies today seem to be using employees up. Employees are hired, placed in service, perform at maximum capacity for as long as possible, and then when they are no longer viable, they are discarded and replaced.

Just like a disposable asset.

Oddly enough, it seems to me that there really is a correlation between how companies treat their equipment and how they treat their employees. When times are going well, companies spend money on their equipment. They run routine maintenance; they keep the equipment well oiled; they buy upgrades and add-ons; and they do their best to ensure that the equipment is in the best working order possible.

Then market conditions change and the company suddenly finds itself in more difficult times. What do they do? They try to control expenses by reducing or eliminating any expense that does not show an immediate payback. Instead of getting preventive maintenance on their equipment every 30 days, it is stretched out to 90 days. Instead of upgrading the equipment with new add-ons companies try to make due without the enhancements. Instead of keeping the equipment well oiled, they cut the staff that performed the job, just to save the dollars. The result of these cost cutting initiatives is fairly clear as well. In the short term the expenses are reduced and profits preserved. But after a few months, the cost containment process begins to show it’s true impact as equipment shows wear and tear, breaks down, or does not have the capability to perform the job as now required.

Similarly with employees we see the same pattern. When times are good companies spend money to hire the right employees through careful screening processes. They spend money to train employees on both technical and soft skills to improve their performance. And they reward employee performance through pay increases and fringe benefits. When the business gets more difficult the cutting starts with training, followed quickly by pay and benefits, and eventually manpower itself. In the short term, profits are preserved, but after a few months, the employees find themselves without training on new products. Process enhancements that would improve long-term productivity are set aside due to the short term costs of implementation. Companies begin to work their employees harder, without the grease and preventive maintenance required to ensure their productivity. Managers push harder for production with less staff. More coercion is used because managers know that employees have few choices but to put up with the demands being made on them. Bad bosses use bad economic conditions as an excuse to treat their people shabbily.

Just like with equipment, the costs are contained in the short term at the expense of the long-term value of the “asset”. Employees are used up and then discarded just like equipment that was not properly maintained.

And who suffers the most in the long term from this shortsighted policy?

Oddly enough, it’s not the employees that suffer the most, but the company itself.

Why?

Because when the economy turns again, employees remember how they were treated. They remember the lack of compassion, understanding, and leadership from their company. They quickly begin to focus their efforts on new jobs with a new company, leaving the old indignities behind.

Indeed, the company really does lose its most important assets -its’ people.

So, what is the answer, you ask? How does a leadership team maintain its most important asset when finances are tough?

The answer lies in keeping your management and leadership focused on their people. And by providing leadership training for the team that includes how to maintain morale and provide inspirational leadership without spending a lot of dollars.

If you really expect your people to be your most important asset, then it’s important to invest in their future, by investing in them and in the people that lead them. Spend those dollars wisely and watch the payback as your most important assets, your people, grow in value.

David Meyer, owner of Coaching for Tomorrow, has more than 25 years of management and leadership experience, having worked for companies such as Nobil Shoes, McDonough, Allied Stores, MCI and Nextel Communications. His mantra, “You Win With People” is based on the deep-seated belief that hiring, developing, and promoting the right people can lead to organizational and financial success. As a management and leadership coach, David works to instill that same passion in his clients by helping them understand the importance of strong leadership, strong teamwork, and strong players.

David has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Elmhurst College and has been certified by both ACTION International as a Business Coach and the Coach Training Alliance. He also has received his CTM from Toastmasters. He is an Officer in the Denver Coach Federation and a facilitator/trainer for the Coach Training Alliance and ACTION International of Colorado. He is also a co-author of the book Creating Workplace Community: Motivation.

Married with two adult daughters, David is active in his local Kiwanis club and Crossroads Community Church. He enjoys reading, golf, scuba diving, and Civil War reenacting. www.coachingfortomorrow.com

We all know that time is one of the most valuable resources that we do not have the luxury to waste for. Unlike money, gold and other material things, the time we spend can never be recovered. It is therefore important to use and manage our time wisely.

One of the biggest time wasters in people’s lives is procrastination. We all know what it is. Most people tend to delay doing things that should have been done a long time ago. When we continue to procrastinate, success will always be elusive in our lives. People who take action are those that will usually get ahead in life.

It may be hard to break procrastination because it is a behavior learned early in life and is hard wired into our subconscious mind.

To break the habit of procrastination, start doing the task at hand immediately. When there is something that needs to be done, start doing it right away. Do not wait until you are “in the mood” for doing it…that time will most likely never come.

Starting to do things immediately will effectively break the old habit of procrastination. You can start with the easy tasks and finish these first. Once the easy tasks are out of the way, you will start to feel good about your accomplishments and this will spark your mood to do more.

Do not aim for perfection when doing the task at hand. What matters most is getting started and then you can gain momentum to finish the greater jobs ahead. Always pursuing perfection to great detail is a waste of your time.

Write down your plan. It is very effective to have a daily plan because you can see which things are most important and which need to be addressed immediately. By writing down your plan, you can be more productive and actually save time by not doing the unnecessary and/or less important tasks.

And be sure when writing down your plan to make a schedule of what you will be doing for the entire day. This should include all the activities that you will do from the beginning to the end of the day.

Finally, set a deadline for your planned activities, making sure that you can finish the job at hand within the established time frame. Don’t let a few small failures along the way derail your plan. Put procrastination where it belongs…under your feet!

© 2005 www.your-offical-guide.com; All Rights Reserved

Steve Hall is the owner of http://www.your-official-guide.com, your one-stop location for getting the information you are looking for on a wide ranging and ever-growing list of subjects.

Need to get more time? Try the Soundview Executive Book Summaries.

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In this world there is something more precious than gold. Diamonds? No. Platinum? No. Some other precious metal? No.

Of course, it would depend who you might ask. Many would mention the alternatives I’ve already given. If you asked a drowning man he would undoubtedly say a life-buoy. If you asked a thirsty person stranded in the desert they would say water. And if you asked a person grieving over a lost loved one they would answer in that manner. All would be correct according to their own particular circumstance.

The value of something is in its scarcity. It’s a matter of simple economics really. Things that exist in abundance are relatively cheap. Things that are rare are more expensive. Unique items are very valuable indeed. That is how value is measured.

However, going back to my opening statement, what would be more precious than any of the above? I would suggest something that, once spent, can never be regained. It’s something that we all have but it runs out second by second. Time.

Time is the most precious commodity we have. Like everything else, it is its scarcity that increases its value.

Think about a child who is five years old. That child has a very shallow concept of time. If we double the age to ten time is again relatively abundant. Doubling the age to twenty a person begins to understand its concept.

If we double that person’s age to forty time begins to become more and more valuable. At the age of eighty, if one lives that long, time is at a premium. It becomes very precious indeed.

If an eighty year old person had all the money they could ever spend what do you think they would buy, if they could? Time!

We only have one life. We cannot buy time. Shouldn’t time be the one thing that we value more than anything else? And yet, so many people elect to waste time.

Don’t let the wastage of time rob you of the things that you really want to do. The biggest robber of time are the words: “I’ll do it later” or I’ll get it done next week” or “there’s plenty of time.”

There is never a better time to do something than right now!

Procrastination and laziness will always ensure that you waste opportunities for achievement.

Use your time wisely. You will never get it back. There is no such thing as eternal youth. One day your time will run out. It would be such a pity for that to happen with a mind still full of wasted opportunity.

I heard somebody say once that “it is better to wear out than rust out.” Going to the grave with the “music still in you” would be such a tragedy.

Time will always be your enemy - unless you make it your friend. Keep learning, keep working and keep achieving. Do it now!

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary’s email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his “Zenspirational Thoughts” plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book “The Power of Choice.”